HoYoverse has released a new animated short for Honkai: Star Rail. "A Joyful Funeral Beneath the Moon" runs just over 6 minutes and centers on Aeon ★ Aha, the Aeon of Elation, in a fight with the other Trailblazer. The short went up on YouTube and X last night at 9 PM MST, an hour after Version 4.7 went live. Check out the official post down below:
The post is written as a letter "from the unwelcoming Aha" to "travelers from afar." The letter asks the reader to start "a game once more" and to "tremble at its cruelty once more," and ends with the promise, "Eventually, you'll learn to laugh."
The English Voice Cast
HoYoverse listed the English voice cast in the post:
- Amber Lee Connors as Aeon ★ Aha
- Shaun Mendum as the other Trailblazer
- Chloe Eves as the other Trailblazer
Mendum and Eves share the credit for the same role. The short had passed 252,000 views on YouTube by this afternoon.
What Happens In The Short
The short opens in black and white, with the other Trailblazer grinning behind a playing card before the colors break into purple and pink. Aha appears with long silver hair, a small crown and a fan of red cards, and tells the other Trailblazer, "Whoa~ The protagonist is a little busy right now," before the 2 begin to fight.
Much of the animation uses purple lightning and card imagery. A white, lightning-shaped tree fills the sky in several shots, a mask appears on one of the playing cards, and a giant red die lands in the middle of the fight. Later scenes move to a crescent moon, rows of golden moons and a wall of glowing orbs, with Aha kneeling alone on a reflective floor near the end.
The other Trailblazer tells Aha, "This world does not welcome you," and Aha answers, "Seems your universe... doesn't welcome Aha, either." Aha then decides, "I think I'll just stick to being the Aeon of Elation for this world," and closes the short with an invitation: "I'll be waiting for you at the end of all things."
Version 4.7 And Aha's Debut
The short arrives with Version 4.7, "Now, Lay Laughter to All Stars," which went live yesterday. The update adds Aeon ★ Aha as a playable limited 5-star Quantum character on the Path of Elation, along with a new Trailblaze Mission, 2 new areas called Starfroster and Moment of Joy, and a new Currency Wars season themed around the in-game comic Fluffy Across the Blue. HoYoverse describes Starfroster as "The Mourning Actors' touring showboat," built by Aha. In the update notes, HoYoverse says Aha grants "ascension to the Path of Elation," letting Elation characters obtain Innate Traces and new abilities, and stars "as the leading role in the all-new 'Aha Instant.'"
Before the update, HoYoverse released the Version 4.7 trailer, also titled "Now, Lay Laughter to All Stars," on October 30 and Aha's character trailer, "Let the Die Fly," on November 8. Players who log in during Version 4.7 can also draw for an Aha outfit called "Star Lotto" in the "Cosmic Aesthetics: Phantasia Showstage" event, which runs until December 22.
Players who log in during Version 4.7 can also claim a free limited 5-star of their choice from Acheron, Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae or Jing Yuan, along with 20 Star Rail Special Passes, through the "Grab Your Opening Gifts" event. Version 4.7 runs until December 22 at 3 PM MST.
Honkai: Star Rail is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, iOS and Android.
Would you watch a full Honkai: Star Rail animated series built around Aha?
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